The Most Impressive Broadway Productions in History / dotLuxury / By Susan Traver / TRAVEL EXCLUSIVE NEWS / New York

The Most Impressive Broadway Productions in History / dotLuxury / By Susan Traver /

EXCLUSIVE NEWS / New York

Theatre in New York, specifically the theatre district we all known as Broadway, is regarded as a representation of the highest level of commercial theatre in the world.

With its long and storied history dating back to 1750, the growth of the Broadway we know today has had many highs and lows, including a serious downturn in the late 1970s.

That changed in the early 1980s when a “Save the Theatres” campaign was launched and ushered in an era of the biggest and most impressive Broadway productions ever – most on our list are still running on Broadway today, so you can catch them.

“Mamma Mia!” ended its farewell tour in early 2017, but based on its popularity, you’ll likely have another chance to see it – this one is poised for a Broadway revival or at least a tour.

Rent

This award-winning modern rock opera was based on Puccini’s “La Boheme” and was centered around a group of struggling young artists and musicians in the East Village dealing with life, love, and AIDS. Over the course of its twelve-year run on Broadway,

“Rent” grossed nearly $275 million from more than 5,000 performances which is a huge multiple of 525,600 minutes.See “Rent” on its 20th Anniversary Tour around the United States.

Wicked

The story of the witches of “The Wizard of Oz” before Dorothy’s time, this prequel and it’s infectious message and music has grossed more than $465 million since its launch in 2003 over the course of more than 2,700 performances.

With now-household names in the original cast including Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, “Wicked” is still a must-see spectacle on Broadway. See “Wicked” at the Gershwin Theatre in New York.

The perfect family outing and the perfect means to introduce children to Broadway, “The Lion King” never disappoints. See “The Lion King” at the Minskoff Theatre in New York.

The Phantom of the Opera

Said to have been one of the most influential and pace-setting productions, “The Phantom of the Opera” has grossed more than $770 million since it began its Broadway run in 1988 when it won seven Tony Awards including Best Musical.

Nearly 30 years and almost 10,000 performances later, “The Phantom of the Opera” is still a popular production and is on the bucket list of many of New York’s visitors and it has officially surpassed “Cats” as the longest-running Broadway musical in history.